Deals draw Glendale shoppers away from the table
The Glendale Galleria swung open its doors to deal-seeking holiday shoppers while many local residents had just barely sat down to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner.
Many of the mall’s stores opened at 6 p.m. on Thursday and closed around midnight to lure early-bird shoppers, then reopened around 6 a.m. on Friday.
Shoppers were expected to spend 3.7% more this holiday season compared to last year, according to the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp.
But the hustle-and-bustle rush and intensity of Black Friday seems to be waning, according to some shoppers.
Veronica Mireles was standing outside of Hollister several hours after the mall reopened on Friday morning. The clothing store was open but at capacity, so she was waiting for her turn to get in.
However, she wasn’t planning to buy anything. In fact, she said she gets her Christmas shopping done on days other than Black Friday lately because good deals go beyond just a single day.
“I usually aim for getting to shopping centers before or after Black Friday. There’s less people,” Mireles said. “The sales are still there.”
She said she was in line just to accompany her friend while she looked for a pair of jeans — but also to confirm she hasn’t missed out on much.
After picking up a basketball, a polo shirt and other clothing, Santiago Chavez was enjoying a midmorning break in the food court on Friday with his friends.
He said he also believes deals don’t necessarily vanish after the early birds get their turn.
“There’s some stores that still [have] deals, and others have nothing at all. It’s still good,” Sanchez said.
And while he understands why people enjoy a head start, he’d rather spend the night after Thanksgiving dinner catching some Zs.
“I probably won’t come at midnight. I’d just rather sleep. I know the deals. They probably still have them with less inventory,” he said.
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Arin Mikailian, arin.mikailian@latimes.com
Twitter: @ArinMikailian
